Underscoring device for typewriters



May 30, 1950 M. G. LEMOS 2,509,571

UNDERSCORING DEVICE FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Aug. 26, 1948 2 Shets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. MANUEL 6. L 4405 BY M la. Egua ATTORNEX y 30, 1950 M. G. LEMOS 2,509,571

UNDERSCORING DEVICE FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Aug. 26, 1948 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR. Alb/v05; G LEA/[(0.5

A 7 TO/P/VEX Patented May 30, 1950 UNDERSCORING DEVICE FOR TYPEWRITERS Manuel G. Ilemos, N. Y.

Application August 26, 1948, Serial No. 46,211

This invention relates to an improved typewrit- 'er machine and one of its objects is to provide a typewriter with means for underlining a written letter at the time the letter is printed on the paper sheet, by the-usual operation of the type bar, so that the operation of underlining a series of letters forming a printed word may be accomplished at the same time that the letters are printed on the paper sheet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a printing bar or element which is supported in a central position for immediate use above the alignment guide, which can be installed in any standard desk or portable typewriter, and which is actuated to printing position by the hammer action Of any type bar manually operated by its key button lever.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a typewriter with an underlining printing character mounted to slide on and against the central alignment guide, and a key operated lever, which can be manually depressed to underline one or more printed letters at the same time these letters are printed, and means for locking the lever and the printing character in ,writer equipped with my improved underlining means.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view,

taken on line 2--2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a similar view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a detail elevation, enlarged, showing the rocker bar for vertically shifting the underlining printing bar or character.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, showing the position of the underlining printing bar in neutral position.

Figure 6 is a similar view, showing a type bar in printing position to print on the work sheet with the underlining printing bar still in neutral position.

Figure '7 is a similar view, showing the underlining printing bar in printing position.

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view of a modif 1 Claim. (Cl. 197-113) 2 iied underlining printing bar, showing the rear side thereof.

Figure 9 is a detail elevational view of a modified form of the invention, constructed to permit of manual selection of different underlining type bars, and thus produce variable underlining effects.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate thepractical reduction of the invention, IO designates the frame of a typewriter, which in this instance is a portable type of machine, and which is provided with the usual horizontal carriage II, having a work platen I2. A printing ribbon I3 works across the face of the platen, and through the usual ribbon guide, which is arranged to slide, in the usual manner, on the vertical alignment guide I4. These features are old and well known. Printing is accomplished in the usual manner by means of the printing type bars I5, which are grouped in the usual basket formation, and individually operated by means of key levers I6, there being one of such levers for each type bar, and each type bar being provided with two printing characters, of the usual arrangement, all of which is old and well known.

In the regular practice of typewriting a aper sheet is placed on the work platen and the composition is then composed by progressively writing the letters for each succeeding word. When underlining is desired the carriage is shifted and the underlining key, usually provided on all typewriter machines, is successively operated, so as to underline each letter selected from one or more words which have been previously printed on the work sheet. This practice delays the completion of the typewritten matter, and when the typist is in a hurry there is a natural tendency to avoid underlining, when it is required.

My invention is designed to provide means to enable a typist to underline any letter as it is printed, so that the secondary operation now required for all standard desk and portable typewriters may be performed simultaneously with the regular progressive operation of the type bars, in letter and word printing order.

My invention is carried out by means of a vertically sliding type bar H, which is stamped from sheet metal, and which is mounted to slide on the central alignment guide I4, by means of the parallel side edges or bars Ila and Ill). The type bar. I! is provided with a spring finger [10, located between the side bars Ila and Ilb, which extends above the edges or bars Ila and Ill), and which is formed on its upper end with a horizontally disposed terminal finger IId, which has an end edge We, on which an underlining character is soldered, or which itself provides such a character.

The underlining printing bar ll is vertically shifted by means of the horizontal rocker bar l9, which is mounted to rock in the bearing brackets 20, 200., secured to the frame ID of the typewriter. This rocker bar 59 is provided with a crank arm 2 i, which has pivotal engagement with the lower end of the underlining printing bar ll, as by means of the bearing l8, and the opposite end of this rocker bar is provided with a crank arm 22 which is engaged by the pull and push horizontal link 23, a coil spring 23a being provided to maintain said crank arm in operative position. The forward end of the link is pivotally connected to the vertical arm .26 of a bell crank 25, which is pivoted at 25a, and pivotally engaged by the lower end of the plunger bar 26 of the operating key button 28a. This plunger bar 26 'slides freely through the guide 2'5, and this guide is made of thin sheet metal, and the bar 26 is formed with a notched portion 26b which is adapted to lock on the guide 27, when the plunger is pushed rearwardly, and this notched portion is located near the underside of the key button, so that the plunger may be locked only when fully depressed.

By manually depressing the plun er bar 26, by pressing down the key button 26a, the printing character We of the underlining printing bar, will be elevated so that it will be located in the path of any type bar which may be swung into printing position, and the type bar will strike the spring finger He and force the printing character He against the printing ribbon at the same time that the printing character of the actuated type bar will engage the ribbon to produce on the work sheet its own printed character or letter.

By this arrangement the letter printed by any type bar will be underlined at the same time it is printed, by the pressure of the type bar at the time it is swung into printing position, acting directly on the underlining printin bar H, and by locking the printing bar ll in a raised position, the typist is thus able to underline all Words as they are progressivel printed.

In Figure 8 is shown a modified form in which the sliding printing bar H is provided with an L-shaped horizontal arm Illa, having an end notch I81) therein, which projects from the rear side of the bar ll, away from the alignment guide 14.

In Figure 9 I show a modified construction of the printing bar for underlining the printed matter, which comprises a sheet metal plate or blank 4 30, having a base cross bar 3|, which is formed with a slot 3m, parallel to its length, which receives pins or screws 32 of the central alignment guide Ma, to permit of the plate 30 being manually shifted on the alignment guide.

The plate 30 is also formed with a plurality of spring bars 33, 34, 35 and 36, which are disposed in vertical and parallel relation to each other. The spring bars or fingers 33, 35 and 36 are of equal length, and the bar 34 is slightly shorter. The bars 34 and 35 are provided with underlining printing characters, or horizontal printing bars 34a and 35a, which are disposed in different horizontal planes. The spring finger or bar 33 is provided with a sloping line 33a, and the spring finger 36 is provided with a dot 36a, or any suitable printing character.

By manually sliding the plate 30 on the central supporting alignment guide, any of the printing characters of this plane may be moved into printing position, so that its character will be printed at the same time that'the character or letter of any type bar is printed. The printing character 35a of the spring finger or bar 35 may be used to underline the printed characters or letters of the uppercase type of the type bars of the typewriter.

Having described the invention, I claim as new:

In a type writer having a central alignment guide, a plate slidably mounted on said guide and provided with a central spring finger having a printing character on the upper end thereof, a key bar having a notch therein, a guide through which the key bar slides and adapted to engage said notch, a lever pivotally connected with the key bar, a push-pull link pivotally connected with the lever, a rocker bar pivotally connected with the link, and means pivotally connecting the rocker bar to the plate to cause the plate to slide when the key bar is pressed.

MANUEL G. LEMOS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 797,043 Briggs Aug. 15, 1905 1,268,368 Lee June 4, 1918 1,349,107 Sealy Aug. 10, 1920 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 427,733 Germany of 1926 

